


No Second Thoughts

by SunnyValhalla



Series: Dropping the Formalities [2]
Category: War Horse (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Bathtub Sex, Begging, Caretaking, Developing Relationship, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub, Dominance, Enthusiastic Consent, Implied Oral Sex, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Masturbation, Mention/Discussion of Past Relationship(s), Orgasm Control, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Praise Kink, Present Tense, Relationship Discussions, Submission, Teasing, Use of God's Name in Vain, guided masturbation, sub!james, submissive James
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 11:21:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15169616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnyValhalla/pseuds/SunnyValhalla
Summary: A couple of months have passed since James mentioned his intention to move into town and live closer to Albert. What happens when the time apart causes some insecurities to arise?





	No Second Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank Kyle (teamthorki) from Tumblr for proof-reading this story! I don't know what I would do without your patience and cheering!

"James?" Albert doesn't really expect an answer when he first calls that name without raising his voice from outside the house. "James?" he calls a little louder, a little more insistent, reaching up and pressing a hand against the chapped door. A small smile comes to his lips when the door comes ajar at the slightest push, and he peeks his head inside for a moment before he decides to slide into the living room.

The floorboards creak under his feet, and that makes his smile grow as he recalls James's strange observation about that from the last time they had seen each other, preferring to focus on how endearing the sudden comment had been rather than the circumstances that had taught the other man to pay such close attention to that kind of thing. Albert is about to call the other man's name again when he hears a thud from the next room.

"Ah, bugger," a voice that definitely belongs to James mutters a second later, and Albert shakes his head with a chuckle just before James walks out into the living room. "Albert?" he asks with both eyebrows raised in surprise, his lips turning up in a bright smile that, for a moment, makes him look less tired. "I heard someone coming in, then had the impression of hearing your voice, but I thought I might've been--..."

"Imagining it?" Albert asks with a grin, feeling strangely comfortable about interrupting the other man, and even more so when he sees a tinge of red on James's cheeks. "You thought you might've been imagining my voice?" he asks again, pushing the door properly closed behind himself.

James doesn't answer that question with words, and for a moment Albert is certain that the other man simply couldn't trust his own voice right now, but with a small nod. He clears his throat, and that only seems to confirm Albert's suspicion. "I was planning to show up at your family's farm later today," he says while gazing at Albert with something that looks a lot like longing before glancing down at the book in his hand, long fingers fidgeting with the leather-covered spine. "I wanted to make my arrival a surprise to you, but as it turns out…" James trails off with a deep sigh, and the smile on his lips when he looks back up to meet Albert's eyes across the room is positively beaming.

"I was the one to surprise you," Albert says without hesitation, completing the other man's sentence as he finally moves away from the door and starts to walk closer. James gives him another nod, and Albert sees him glance down at the floor as the boards creak under Albert's almost deliberate pace.

"How did you know I was in town?" James asks with a confused frown, and this time Albert is almost sure he is the one whose cheeks become flushed.

"I came to check the post office," he says while offering the other man a shrug. "It had been a while since your… one letter. I was hoping for some kind of news, and heard a couple of people talking about the new chap in town." Albert stops before he has completely crossed the distance between them. "I think they used the word 'posh'," he continues with a grin and that addition makes James laugh.

"That would give me away, wouldn't it?" James asks rhetorically before he turns serious, and he seems about to say something when Albert interrupts him again.

"Everything okay in there?" Albert asks seemingly out of nowhere, his brow furrowing in concern as he remembers the thud he had heard moments ago, nodding in the direction of the room James had emerged from.

That question seems to make James blink in confusion, and he almost turns his head to follow the direction of Albert's gaze before realization dawns on him. "Oh! Y-Yeah, I was just…" He trails off for a moment and sends Albert a sheepish smile. "I brought some of my stuff from London and was setting up my bedroom when I heard you come in," he says with eyes trained on Albert despite his cheeks flushing again. "I might've knocked over a stack of books. You know, in my hurry to check if my visitor was really you."

Now Albert is the one to laugh, and the sound is warm and affectionate in a way that seems to knock the breath from James's lungs for a moment, just long enough for Albert to step closer. He shakes his head with a small sigh and reaches up to gently take the book from James's hand before the other man can even think of starting to fidget with the cover again. Much to James's confusion, Albert doesn't even bother with glancing down at the cover and checking the title before he tosses the book on the ground

"I was afraid that you were having second thoughts," Albert admits in a quiet but firm voice while reaching over and letting one of his hands rest on James's hip.

"About moving closer to you and Joey?" James asks just as quietly, and Albert nods in response despite knowing that the question had been merely rhetorical and that James certainly knows what he was referring to, without breaking eye contact. "Are you having second thoughts, Albert?" That question seems to come out almost involuntarily, and Albert has no doubt that James's voice betrays more uncertainty than the other man would've liked. That thought is one that only makes Albert smile again, and there is no hesitation when he shakes his head.

"No, I'm not having second thoughts," he says with conviction and this time snakes his arm around James's waist to pull him closer, the action possessive in a way that still surprises Albert himself. "I just… feared that once you were home again, and it's obvious that you're from some big city," he continues, needing to get that off his chest, while his other hand comes up and his fingers start to play with the buttons of the other man's shirt, "you'd realize that you belong there, not here. You'd realize that there's no place in your life for someone like me…"

When Albert looks back up to meet James's eyes, having averted his own gaze at some point during his rant, he sees the other man quirking an eyebrow, confusion filling those warm blue eyes. "Someone like you?" James all but mutters that question. "What is that supposed to mean, Albert?"

Albert opens his mouth to say something, but closes it a second later without a word. He finds himself needing to swallow past a newly formed lump in his throat before he can speak again. "I mean a young man from the country like me," he admits and this time refuses to look away. "Maybe you even had someone waiting for you back home. I don't know, maybe a girlfriend?"

The confusion he had seen in James's expression earlier seems to give way to an obviously good-natured amusement. "I'm not an old man, Albert," James says with a bright and reassuring smile. "We are only a few years apart, and the way we connected in those letters we've exchanged through these years," he continues and Albert notices a growing urgency, a growing edge, in the other man's voice, as if this was something they both needed to talk about and Albert had simply been the one brave enough to start, "the way we connected even more when we saw each other again, it didn't happen just because I was lonely or homesick. What we have here is real, Albert. At least for me."

"For me too," Albert says almost before James is even finished speaking, his fingers now tightening in a firm grip on the collar of James's shirt so he can pull the other man down and press their lips together in a gentle kiss, one that instantly has James relaxing and his lips parting invitingly. Albert groans and for a moment seems just about to deepen the kiss, but decides to force himself to pull back instead. He shivers with a soft smile when James's hands finally come up to touch his arms. "I just missed you so much," Albert whispers against the other man's lips, running his fingers lightly along James's jawline.

"I missed you too," James whispers in response, leaning into his touch with a shivering sigh. "Oh, God, Albert…"

"You're not gonna show me around the house?" Albert asks with a clearly relieved smile in what could seem like a random change of topic, pulling back so their bodies aren't touching despite how reluctant the action is. He almost regrets it when James sends him an almost crestfallen look. "C'mon, I know you're going to say it's a small house, but… show me around."

James's dejected look seems to give way to a sparkle of excitement almost as soon as those words leave Albert's lips, and for a moment Albert wonders how he can handle the deep affection swelling in his chest as he watches the other man stepping closer. "Well, it is a small house," James says with a soft smile, gazing at Albert with the same longing as earlier. "There's not much to show, but here is the bedroom." James gestures for Albert to enter the room first and then follows him in. "I'm sorry about the mess. Like I said, I'm still setting things up, so--..."

Albert can't help chuckling and shaking his head. "It's fine, James," he says while he watches the other man crouch down to collect what are probably the books he had mentioned knocking over earlier and stack them together again. Albert finds himself needing to stick his hands into the front pockets of his trousers as a way to hold back the urge to step closer and stroke James's hair then and there, while the other man is still practically on his knees, before clearing his throat. "That other door leads to the bathroom, right?" he asks and nods pointedly in that direction.

James's initial response comes in the form of a nod as he stands back up. "The only room that isn't currently a mess," he comments with a nervous chuckle once Albert has already walked into the bathroom. "It's a little smaller than the one at the farm, isn't it?"

Those words prompt Albert to give him a shrug. "I don't know. Maybe," he concedes while leaning against the doorframe and taking a look around the surprisingly tidy bathroom, eyebrows rising in interest when he spots the claw-footed tub. "How about you get back to what you were doing before I came in," he asks and turns to look at James again, "while I run us a bath, and then we can head to the farm for dinner together?" He sends James a warm and winning smile, and it's clear that despite phrasing it as a question, Albert isn't leaving room for debate. "You should bring a change of clothes, too. In case you end up needing to stay the night. What do you think?"

"That sounds great," James says without a hint of hesitation, enthusiasm evident in his voice. "That sounds… wonderful, Albert." He bites his lower lip lightly. "I-I won't be too long here. I promise."

 

*

 

"You were not completely wrong earlier," James comments seemingly out of the blue as he works on removing his underwear, and those words make Albert's eyes snap open and his head shoot up from where it was leaning back against the edge of the bath as he enjoyed the soothing warmth of the water against his tired muscles.

He doesn't notice the good-natured smile on James's lips or the light tone in the other man's voice when he first turns to look at James. "What wasn't I wrong about?" Albert asks and his voice comes out thicker than he had intended, betraying some of his tension, and that seems to prompt James to send him an almost painfully apologetic look.

"I mean when you mentioned a girlfriend earlier," James says in a quieter voice this time, now tugging his underwear off completely and dropping it unceremoniously on the cold stone floor of the bathroom. "Although she wasn't waiting for me," he says before Albert can get a word in this time as he walks closer, and Albert decides not to focus so much on the worried wrinkles on the other man's forehead, wrinkles that he had just planted there, but rather allows himself to admire James's naked form on display as the man approaches, and just how comfortable James seems to be in that position apart from the beautiful flush on his face. "We agreed to break up before the war was even officially declared," James continues, and those words make Albert sigh in relief.

He glances up at the other man's face for a moment with a soft smile before shifting in the bath as so to make room for James. "She didn't want to wait for you?" Albert asks with an eyebrow raised, now more in curiosity than anything else, just before his eyes settle momentarily on the partial erection between James's thighs as the other man steps into the bath. He doesn't waste time once James has settled down, but rather wraps his arms around the other man from behind and pulls him closer against his chest, burying his face into James's shoulder and breathing him in as if that gesture could convey an apology for almost ruining the mood with his jealousy moments before, when much to his confusion, that question seems to make James laugh.

"It wouldn't have been fair to make her wait for me," James says and shakes his head for a brief moment before allowing himself to lean back more comfortably against Albert, his head coming to rest on one of Albert's shoulders. "She deserved a man who could properly cherish her and her many qualities," he continues and Albert can hear a clear fondness in James's voice, but nothing beyond that, "and that man decidedly wouldn't be me."

Albert furrows his brow as he takes in those words before he finally reaches over for a washcloth. "Is that because you like blokes?" he asks so quietly he has to wonder whether he had in fact uttered that question at all while soaking the washcloth before he starts to rub James's chest gently with it, the touch seeming to draw out a gasp from the other man as he nods against Albert's shoulder.

"Yeah, because I like blokes," James all but whispers and turns his head slightly to the side so he can glance back at Albert. "What about you, Albert? Such a handsome young fellow--..."

Albert refuses to let the other man finish that thought. He shifts just enough so that he can silence James with a light kiss despite the awkward angle. "None of the girls in town or in the other farms have ever caught my attention," he whispers with a soft smile against James's lips, his free hand coming up to cup his lover's chin. "Besides, there's this very handsome bloke who has been in my thoughts for the past four years…" Albert's smile turns into an almost mischievous grin when James's entire expression seems to brighten up at his words, but he finds himself needing to tighten his arms and legs around the other man to stop him from turning further in his direction. "Just lean back and relax," he says with eyes narrowed playfully before he leans into James's ear. "Relax and let me do this. You can do that for me, can't you, James?"

Albert doesn't question his own perception this time when he feels James relax against him, the other man seeming to follow his command with what Albert is certain is a sigh of pleasure.

"I like this," James mutters under his breath several moments later, breaking the oddly comfortable silence that seems to have settled between them and giving Albert pause. "I mean… remember when we were together last time, and you stopped me from touching myself?" He pauses and waits for Albert's affirmative and intrigued hum in response before he continues. "You… p-pinned my hand down, then you told me to hold back my own climax… while you continued to fuck me and take your own pleasure from my body." Another pause, and once again Albert can do little but hum affirmatively in response, those words sending a pleasant rush through his body. "Then moments later, when you were gathering your wits and you finally said it was my turn… that I was allowed to come--..."

"You came almost immediately," Albert all but whispers, more completing James's thoughts than interrupting him, before placing a gentle kiss on the other man's temple. "You came on my command, didn't you?" he asks almost rhetorically, and that thought, the confirmation of a suspicion that had been on his mind for a couple of months now, brings a bright smile to Albert's lips even as he feels his now fully hard cock twitch. He doesn't mind that his hand is trembling slightly when he resumes rubbing the washcloth along James's chest, his other hand now caressing the long scars that run along the other man's ribs before he takes one of his lover's nipples between his thumb and index finger, making James gasp and instinctively arch into his touch.

"I-It doesn't bother you, does it?" James asks and bites his lip, but to Albert's great relief, that moment of uncertainty doesn't seem to last long this time. "I love when you tell me what to do, Albert. I love when you dominate me, and how naturally that seems to come to you…"

Albert could swear that he is blushing now, his cheeks feeling strangely warm as he listens to those words and the sensation not bothering him in the slightest. He finds himself pushing the washcloth aside and running his now free hand along James's arm, feeling the perfectly defined muscles under the other man's skin as he leans into James's ear, voice husky. "You must be hard as a rock now, aren't you, James?" he asks and twists his lover's nipple with his fingers when he doesn't get a prompt answer.

"Y-Yes," James practically whimpers in response, but Albert finds that he is beginning to enjoy this, beginning to enjoy the control and the power handed to him too much to be lenient now, and that answer only makes him twist harder. "Y-Yes, sir," James whimpers a little louder this time and Albert finds his own lips turning up in a smirk as he figures that response should be satisfying enough for now.

"That's better," Albert once again whispers into his lover's ear, in part figuring that James deserves the reassurance and praise, but for the most part because his own heart aches at the thought of not giving his lover those things after he got the answer he had aimed for. "I want you to touch yourself for me now, James," he orders and his own voice, the growing confidence behind it, makes his own almost painfully hard cock twitch, but he wills himself as best as he can to continue to focus on his lover for now. He watches James let go of the edge of the bath and reach under the water with a trembling hand to do exactly as he had been instructed. Albert clears his throat. "Good boy," he praises again and places a kiss behind James's ear. "Wrap your hand around that beautiful cock and and stroke slowly, just like I was doing last time before you said you wanted me inside of you… before you practically begged for it..."

"Dear God, Albert…" James gasps out as he follows Albert's instructions without question, and the sounds that come from his lips are almost enough to make Albert forget his resolve and take himself into his hand to seek his own release sooner than he had intended. Luckily, he notices the way James leans his head further back in pleasure and decides to take advantage of how exposed his lover's neck is now, alternating between sloppy wet kisses and little bites along the softer skin there. "F-Fuck, Albert… sir…" James gasps out again, and this time those words seem to have a sobering effect on Albert, distracting him from his own situation enough for him to pull back and nudge his lover's side gently.

Albert somehow manages to make his voice less husky the next time he leans into James's ear. "The water is starting to get cold," he says and there's a clear hint of gentleness in his voice that he finds contrasts nicely with how mean he knows he is being right now. "Let's get out of the bath and get ready." He gives James a gentle push to encourage him to move, the gesture serving to emphasize that he is being serious, before he shifts and holds onto the edge of the bath for support as he pushes himself back on his feet.

Albert can't help wincing slightly when the movement seems to remind him of his own erection, as if he could have forgotten about it in the first place, as he reaches for a towel to dry himself. He decides not to address that matter for now and instead proceeds to wrap his own towel around James's shoulders and help him start to get dry before letting James finish that task himself, not wanting his lover to catch a cold now that the night is beginning to fall and the air around them is cooling down.

"You might want to think about something that is… not exciting," Albert finds himself commenting with a hint of amusement as he sends a pointed glance towards James's cock. "Something to bring that down." He doesn't even try to hide a wide grin as he notices just how flushed James's face becomes because of his words. "I might let you come after dinner. With my cock buried deep inside your arse."

"As you wish, sir," James says in a quiet voice and Albert could swear there is a hint of a grin on the other man's own lips, but before he can be sure, James is dropping carefully to his knees in front of him and those gorgeous blue eyes are looking up at him expectantly. In this moment, Albert is almost certain that the very sight of his rock-hard cock is enough to make James's mouth water as his lover waits for permission to suck him off.

 

*

 

Albert doesn't care to remember much about dinner that night. Everything apart from his parents' obvious astonishment at the fact that a man of good stock from the city such as James is indeed moving close to them is nothing but a blur in his mind, and even that becomes easy to forget in between his panting and grunting at the effort as he leans over James's sprawled form. Each delicious sound that comes from his lover's lips, sometimes from deep in his throat, only seems to emphasize that for now nothing in the world matters but the heat of their bodies moving together almost in synchrony, the heavenly sensation around Albert's cock as he rocks into James's body with near abandon for what must be the second round that night.

He feels James's legs wrap around his hips, and though part of him knows that his lover doesn't exactly mean to pressure him, the gesture seems to remind him of how James's cock lies pressed between their stomachs, hard as a rock again but so far neglected and denied any release. "A-Albert… sir…" James gasps out when Albert reaches between their bodies to start to stroke him, and he needs to ease the grip he has on the pillow so he can bite on one of his hands in an attempt not to wake Albert's parents in the next room. "I-I need to come, Albert," he pleads a few moments later once he can trust his voice again. "I need to come, sir. P-Please?"

Albert supposes he should be a little more surprised to notice actual tears escaping from the corner of James's eyes, but his surprise is minimal and even though he would never dream to make James cry or enjoy seeing him him cry in any other kind of situation, the sight only seems to help push him over the edge right now. He leans down and captures James's lips in a kiss that muffles his own grunt when his hips tense after a particularly hard and deep thrust, a rush of pleasure coming over him as releases into his lover's body for the second and most likely last time that night.

"Albert…" James's voice comes as a whimper that sounds far too small for a man like him once their kiss is broken, and that seems to bring Albert down from his high faster than before.

"J-James," he practically murmurs, pushing himself onto one of his elbows for support and pulling back far enough so he can properly watch his lover's face. "It's your turn, James. Come for me," he whispers and those words seem to be all it takes for James to come undone in Albert's hand even when they are barely past his lips, and Albert finds that even though he needs to clasp his free hand over his lover's mouth to keep the other man's moans down, the sight of James's face when the man is overwhelmed with pleasure is even more mesmerizing that he had expected.

"T-Thank you… Albert… sir…" James mutters under his breath as soon as Albert's hand moves away from his mouth, his eyes fluttering as he leans into his lover's gentle touch against his cheek. "Thank you…"

Albert opens his mouth to say something and then closes it again without a word, needing to clear his throat a couple of times before he can trust his voice again. "Hey… I've got you," he whispers in what Albert hopes is a soothing tone despite the thickness in his voice from the tears that brim in his own eyes now, "I've got you… my love…"

**Author's Note:**

> So it turns out that my self-indulgent canon-divergence AU story about James surviving the war and keeping his promise to Albert and their developing relationship, where James allows himself to let his guard down and accept comfort from the strong-minded and determined country boy who had captured his heart, has a new installment now.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this sequel and are enjoying this AU as much as I am! Once again, leave some kudos and let me know your thoughts! That makes a writer so happy! <3


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